Jazz Articles
Our daily articles are carefully curated by the All About Jazz staff. You can find more articles by searching our website, see what's trending on our popular articles page or read articles ahead of their published dates on our Coming Soon page. Read our daily album reviews.
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Matthieu Clement: RUMA
by Glenn Astarita
Mathieu Clement, born in 2001 in Luxembourg, is a dynamic 24-year-old drummer and composer (with a mature talent that belies his age) now based in Cologne, Germany. He began playing the drums and vibraphone at the age of seven, studied at the Hochschule für Musik und Tanz, and was part of the JugendJazzOrchester NRW. Clement's discography includes his debut Coming Home“ (Jazz Thing Next Generation, 2022), and the trio album Fume, (Klaeng, 2024). Ruma is a spirited septet ...
Continue ReadingMorpheus Trance - Christy Doran: In Trance We Trust
by Glenn Astarita
Renowned Switzerland-based guitarist Christy Doran's In Trance We Trust is a musical dreamscape you cannot quite pin down but may never want to escape. The album unfolds like a sonic labyrinth, twisting and turning through genres and moods with the cool confidence of a seasoned psychonaut. Doran, wielding his six-stringed wand, conjures textures that oscillate between otherworldly and hypnotically familiar. In the marketing one-sheet, Doran declares, “There is no boss"--a nod to the democratic ethos of the trio as they ...
Continue ReadingJonathan Salvi Arugula Sextet: Arugula
by Glenn Astarita
Swiss artist Jonathan Salvi's Arugula, released on Challenge Records, offers a blend of rhythmic complexity and thoughtful jazz arrangements. As the 103rd release in the “Jazz Thing Next Generation" series, it presents Salvi's work on the vibraphone in a way that fits well within the contemporary jazz scene. Salvi's vibraphone technique--using four mallets --is not groundbreaking yet brings a delicate and steady presence to the music. In “Wanderig," the album opens with guitarist Emilio Vidal's understated chord voicings, ...
Continue ReadingVinsent Planjer: Warm to the Touch
by Glenn Astarita
Warm To The Touch is a triumph for Dutch percussionist Vinsent Planjer, displaying his talents as both a drummer and a composer. The album is a testament to his ability to blend intricate rhythms with evocative melodies, creating a listening experience that is both captivating and comforting. Each track offers a unique perspective on the themes of warmth and touch, inviting the listener to explore the rich textures and emotional depths of Planjer's music. Whether one is a seasoned jazz ...
Continue ReadingChantal Acda: Silently Held
by Neil Duggan
Somewhere near the point where jazz, Americana and alt-folk meet, Belgian singer-songwriter Chantal Acda can be found. She has carved out a distinctive sound using a restricted and intimate sonic landscape crafted to enhance her vocal delivery. Her voice is soft and breathy with a fragile edge, and she delivers her lyrics with an intense focus. She has recorded solo and with differing groups of musicians on her previous albums. For Silently Held, she is joined by some outstanding players ...
Continue ReadingYuri Honing Acoustic Quartet: Heaven On My Mind
by Ian Patterson
So called spiritual-jazz seemed to come out of nowhere with John Coltrane in the mid-1960s. If one jazz musician was the catalyst for the emergence this sub-genre of jazz it was he. Coltrane acolytes Pharoah Sanders, Alice Coltrane and Charles Lloyd, among others, subsequently took up the mantle. No easier to define than jazz itself, spiritual jazz is hip once again. Not that Yuri Honing openly subscribes to the label, after all this is a musician who has steadfastly chartered ...
Continue ReadingStephane Galland & The Rhythm Hunters: Stephane Galland & The Rhythm Hunters
by Glenn Astarita
In the dense jungle of contemporary jazz, where rhythm is both compass and sustenance, Belgian drummer Stéphane Galland emerges as our audacious guide. His European ensemble, The Rhythm Hunters, embarks on a musical safari that transcends borders, time zones and conventional beats. From the initial moments of the album's opener, “Morpheus," listeners are transported into a realm where the pulse of the percussion reigns supreme. Stephane Galland, the maestro behind the drum kit, leads the charge with a ...
Continue ReadingMichiel Stekelenburg: Catharsis
by Glenn Astarita
Dutch guitarist Michiel Stekelenburg is also a composer and educator known for his contributions to the jazz genre, though his origins in rock music significantly influence both his playing and compositions. His versatility as a session guitarist has seen him being a member of several pop and soul bands, alongside leading his own jazz and improvisational projects. On Catharsis, he emerges as a seasoned alchemist while consolidating his innermost feelings into a potent elixir of sound. The album ...
Continue ReadingLynne Arriale Trio: Being Human
by Pierre Giroux
In the album Being Human, the Lynne Arriale Trio has crafted a release that delves into many dimensions of our shared humanity. Accompanied by the rhythmic backbone of bassist Alon Near and the pulsating energy of drummer Lukasz Zyta, the trio embarks on an exhilarating sonic journey. A suite of ten original compositions is the frame on which Arriale hangs her musical narrative. Many of the tracks are dedicated to those who have inspired her life, ...
Continue ReadingLynne Arriale: Being Human
by Doug Collette
It is worth (re)stating what a balm to the soul is good jazz music. Still, on her seventeenth album as a leader, pianist/composer Lynne Arriale expounds upon that verity with bassist Alon Near and drummer Lukasz Zyta, all the while refraining from overstatement. In so doing, Arriale and company extend the conscious decision to emphasize empathy as captured on her previous album, The Lights Are Always On (Challenge Records, 2022). A rush of rippling piano at the outset ...
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